Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2004 Archive
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"Loyalist Trails" 2004-21 November 13, 2004
In this issue:
- Kingston Special Dinner
- Vancouver Branch Recognition Event
- Hamilton Branch
- Men's North End Interactive Vest
- Burial Sites and Cemetery Recordings
- On This Day...
+ Died on 9 Nov. 1808. Baron Dorchester
+ Died on 11 Nov. 1813, 100 troopers and militiamen
- Queries
+ Educational material
+ Dearth of Loyalist history
+ Illustrations for a book
+ Qualify as a Loyalist
Articles
Vancouver Branch Recognition Event
The Vancouver Branch held a tea on Sunday, 7th of November to honour Margaret "Dolly" Hannay AC-01 93.. Dolly has been a vital part of our Branch for many years, always ready to help wherever and whenever needed. We are lucky to have had this diligent worker in our Branch. We had many members turnout to wish Dolly all the best in her new home in Nanaimo. Dolly was presented with a Project 2014 Loyalist plate. (Carl Stymiest has posted pictures - see page 4, starting with the rose at picture #6)...Mary Anne Bethune, President, Vancouver Branch, UELAC
President, Lloyd Oakes and his wife, Gloria, were among those who welcomed the new Professor in Canadian Studies Prof. Viv Nelles (a Loyalist name if we ever heard one!). He has indicated his exciting plans for extending the teaching of Canadian history through the University to the community at large, the High School history teachers, and the local heritage Societies. Viv was appointed through the kind generosity of the Hamilton Branch's Loyalist Day, June 19th speaker, "Red" Wilson. It was noted on that evening that the recently established History Scholarship as set up by our Branch to McMaster University graduate students was important and truly appreciated.Men's North End Interactive Vest
The Promotions Committee now offers a full front zipper fleece vest with matching corded fleece on inner collar and facing. Full lining. Zipper pull. Two outside zippered welt pockets with woven cord and zipper end pulls. Shock Cord Drawstring at hem with cord lock adjustment and shock cord holder on inner left seam. Inside cell phone/ sunglasses pocket. Outer Shell:100% Spun polyester 380 gram Anti-Pill Fleece. Lining: 100% nylon taffeta. Many sizes ands colours. For details visit the online catalogue here. You can order through your branch, or directly from the Committee - see details on the web site. (next week denim jacket)Burial Sites and Cemetery Recordings
It was interesting to hear last night about the burial site project (at Gov. Simcoe Branch meeting in Toronto). This past summer I volunteered to be the Nova Scotia and PEI co-ordinator for the Canada Gen Web's Cemetery Project. It has only recently been launched. The goal is to track down every transcription for every burial in Canada and to make the information available. The main website can be found here.
...Andrew Stillman
Died on 9 Nov. 1808
Army Officer and colonial administrator, born Guy Carleton at Strabane, Ireland, on Sept. 3, 1724. After serving under General James Wolfe as commander of a regiment, he was made governor of Quebec in 1768. He understood the wisdom of applying the Quebec Act during the American War of Independence and so succeeded in both keeping French loyalty to the Crown and in holding back an invasion by American forces. Appointed Governor of New York in 1782, he greatly aided the exodus of the American Loyalists north across the border by refusing to quit the former colony until after all refugees were safe. In 1793 he began a second term as Governor of Quebec. He was against the creation of separate legislatures for Upper and Lower Canada, but saw the Jay's Treaty of 1794 as a precursor to war with the United States. His impassioned order to reoccupy Fort Miamis (Maumee) in Ohio resulted in his recall to London. Died in England.
Died on 11 Nov. 1813
The Battle of Crysler's Farm occurred near Morrisburg, Ont. and was a decisive British and Canadian victory during the Way of 1812. It was fought between about 2,000 overconfident and ill-led U.S. troops under General John Boyd and 600 well-trained British regulars and Canadian forces under Colonel J.W. Morrison. In October 1813 a U.S. force of more than 7,000 men had set out in boats from Sackett's Harbour N.Y., to advance on Montreal. Halted by rapids on the St. Lawrence, they came ashore to perform a complicated portage. Col. Morrison and is forces provoked the American rearguard and defeated it soundly. The loss caused the whole U.S. army to flee in disorder across the river and to abandon its planned attack on Montreal. While records vary Canadian and British battlefield losses were set at about 100.
I am a 5th grade teacher in the state of Washington. I am descended from Joseph Avery, a Loyalist whose family still lives in Canada except for my branch. I would like some recommendations of books for children that convey the experiences of Loyalists. The history textbook that is provided by my school district is completely in favor of "Patriots" and never mentions the experiences of people who displayed their loyalty to England. I have one book that is intensely Canadian in its viewpoint and I usually read paragraphs from each of these books and have my students compare the totally different points of view. What I really would like to find is a children's book that is neutral, but that does a good job of describing the issues and events of that time. If you could devote an issue of your great newsletter to this question, I would love it.
...Ruth Roy, Bellevue, Washington
Response
Dear Ruth:
Thank you for your interest in providing a balanced study of the Patriot/Loyalist conflict, a pivotal part of our combined history. Firstly, may I direct your attention to the Education Folder of our Dominion website. Links will take you to the short history in both French and English as well as to the booklist suitable for classrooms generated a number of years ago. If you are looking for a non-fiction resource, I would recommend The Loyalist Refugees (ISBN:0-7737-6043-1), by Robert Livesey. You have considerably greater choice in a search for a suitable novel. The lists span differences in locale, time and race as well as reading level. For instance, if you wanted to expose your students to the conflict in the Southern Campaign, you might select Betrayal at Cross Creek; for a young Métis viewpoint, there is George Johnson's War; with a focus on the New England Colonies, try The Hollow Tree, or With Nothing But our Courage - The Loyalist Diary of Mary MacDonald. The challenges faced by Loyalist families are also well described in Flight and The Hungry Year.
Secondly, although video was not requested, may I also recommend a viewing of "The World Turned Upside Down" by the National Film Board. This 1985 film made use of the King's Landing Historical Settlement near Fredericton, New Brunswick in its portrayal of the persecution and hardships of the Loyalists.
Thirdly, I would suggest you check out Mindsparks for their Excursion in History, American Revolution kit (67613). I am not sure that they would break up the kit for individual sale, but your class room might benefit from Keith and Rusty McNeil's Colonial and Revolution Songbook and CD. They also had an excellent activity called "Patriot Papers and Loyalist Ledger". (They have a toll free number 1-800-558-2110). Mindsparks also lists a number of books for grades 4-7 which I have not reviewed.
Finally, I would encourage you to check out our one internet teacher's resource, The Loyalists, Pioneers and Settlers of Quebec also listed in the Education Folder. Although the focus is on just one region, the general history, images, and Addendum may be of some help. The UELAC Education Committee is still developing its final resource that will show the relationship between the Loyalist descendants with the fur trade and development of the west.
...Fred H. Hayward UE, Chairman, UELAC Education/Outreach Committee
Dear Sir or Madam,
I have been exercising my sense of civic responsibility through letters to editors and members of parliament, trying to encourage people to pay a little more attention to our UEL history and expend a lot less obsessive effort and tax money lamenting the expulsion of the Acadians. Alas, I cannot induce our major dailies to take up the cause.
One observation I have made is that if I go to the Canadian Heritage search page and search for "acadian," I get about 172 results from www.pch.gc.ca.
However, if I search for "united empire loyalist," the only result from www.pch.gc.ca is entitled Multiculturalism - Black History Month.
Can your organization not apply for federal funding on a par with the money spent to "celebrate" or "fete" the Acadians? Indeed, United Empire Loyalists were considerably more numerous and were much greater contributors to this country's historic progress and present wealth than were the Acadians.
...Ron Bezant, Ontario
Response
Thank you for your diligence Ron. You make several good points
Of course we could argue that this is a significant time of remembrance for the Acadians while the Loyalists' time to shine was some 22 years ago. But our time will come around again.
We are seeing more excitement within our group and have some projects on the drawing board to help move us more aggressively into the Information Age. One may say that we have lots of obstacles, and so be it. We won't climb the hills if we don't start walking.
A few years ago our then President, Bernice Wood Flett, was quite instrumental in working with the Government in Ontario to designate Loyalist day on June 19th. A committee worked diligently to coordinate with the Gr 3 and 7 Cdn history curriculum to make sure a Loyalist resource booklet was available. This was distributed widely in Ontario. A similar book was created for Nova Scotia and distributed in more than one Atlantic Province. Another is now underway for the west.
A web site was created about Loyalists in Québec, and a book created for that province too. We are working to develop an online library about Loyalists, and so on. We started earlier this year a weekly email newsletter for members and friends - you are certainly welcome to a subscription. These are small steps, but steps nonetheless.
We do appreciate the effort that you, and other like-minded Canadians, are making to preserve and promote our Canadian heritage, and for us, a focus on the Loyalist portion of it.
I have a book in process of publication which concerns the American Loyalists. It was originally a Ph.D. thesis at U of T.
My subject is the Anglican clergy who were situated in the provinces from Delaware to Nova Scotia. My ultimate question was: Why so many remained loyal to the Crown, while some joined the revolutionaries. Most of them were partly financed by the Gospel in Foreign Parts, in London.
The publishing company in Suffolk England have asked for illustrations for the book. I came across only one copy of a portrait of a lesser known clergy during my research - he became a chaplain to a New Jersey regiment of the Continental Army. I wonder if you have any copies of portraits or other illustrations that you might permit me to use. I would be happy to provide further information about the book and pay any expenses incurred. I realize that your collections are personal and valued. Here are a few of the Loyalists in my study who took refuge in British North America:
Roger Viets, James Scovil, Samuel Andrews, Richard Clarke, John Beardsley, Jacob Bailey, Ranna Cossit, Joshua Wingate Weeks, Mather Byles, Samuel Cooke, John Stuart.
...Ron Cooksey, PO Box 6447, Toowoomba West, Qld, Australia, 4350. {lesliecooksey AT yahoo DOT com DOT au} how do I email him?
(If you have any suggestions for Ron, about portraits or relevant other illustrations, please email him directly and carbon copy me if you would, please -- Doug)
As pertaining to the column of "Who Qualified as a Loyalist", some Loyalists went to the Bahamas as it was part of British North America. Also, the Loyalists that went to Florida left after 1783 as Spain got Florida back after the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The United States did not get Florida until 1818 when the United States purchased Florida from Spain.
...Robert Heath, UE
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